Thann Scoggin

I circumnavigated Mount of the Holy Cross solo today following the Half Moon - North Ridge - more advanced Halo Ridge loop. At 14,005 ft., it's obviously one of the shortest Colorado 14ers, but this hike was the most strenuous I've done. 13.5 miles, around 5600 ft. of elevation gain, and it only took me 10 hours!!!

Because I descended via a non-standard route, I was essentially scrambling over boulders with no marked trails. That added a lot of time and took a huge toll physically and mentally. I’ve never been so far removed from a direct escape route to treeline, and the clouds did begin to get very dark while I was still exposed. Totally worth it, though, as I didn't have to backtrack and got to see this gorgeous peak from all angles.

The Halo Ridge Loop may be my favorite 14er hike so far, but it wasn't always pleasant. The most rewarding things seldom are.

It was my earliest morning yet. Knowing it would be a long one, I woke up at 4, drove 1.5 hours to the trailhead, and was hiking by about 6:15. I reached Half Moon Pass by around 7:30, where I got my first view of the mountain. One of the most difficult and potentially demoralizing aspects of the standard ascent is the loss of 1000 ft down into East Cross Creek - luckily I’d only have to deal with that once today.

Once I had regained that elevation and then some en route to the peak’s north ridge, the views to the west really opened up. I got the best view I've had of the Elks on any of my hikes. The Maroon Bells, Snowmass, and Capitol lined the horizon on this clear but very cold and windy morning. The trail would soon deteriorate in favor of a steeper and rocky cairned route. I didn’t realize how much I should’ve appreciated those waymarkers...

As I reached the summit, there were a couple of other hikers just beginning their descent back down the north ridge. They’d be the last people I’d see for a while. I started to examine my route to the south and Holy Cross Ridge, a ranked centennial 13er. All of a sudden, I got a text from my best friend. Even on this the most remote of Sawatch 14ers I had a bit of service up top. Our hero Tim Duncan had announced his retirement. Not a surprise, but it was a monumental bit of news that would make this summit a bittersweet achievement.

The conditions up top were truly brutal. After a quick snack, I was ready to escape the blistering winds and get on down the ridge. The hike up to Holy Cross Ridge was steep and rocky, but I was hitting my stride. The views in every direction were glorious. One benefit of this off-trail route is that the vantage point back to Holy Cross continually improves, ending in a perfect direct view of the iconic west face and Cross Couloir.

A lengthy flat area below was a nice motivator on the descent, but on the other side of that was another daunting dropoff down a jagged bend in the ridge. This area would hold some of the sketchiest loose rock in the hike and was followed by a rough ascent to Unnamed 13,248. Although the Notch Shelter was in my sights, I was growing doubtful as the clouds were getting darker and darker, and my progress seemed to be slowing. My legs were screaming at me. Loudly.

I was rewarded for my efforts by the most photo-friendly lighting I’ve ever had in the mountains. The view of the Cross was nothing short of magical as I picked my way through the ocean of talus. By the time I finally reached the shelter, I’d been scrambling off-trail for five hours.

Over the last week, I’ve killed it on the 14ers, but I am truly humbled by this hike. And lucky to be safe after a huge jump in difficulty. I have never been so happy to see shelter, not just one but TWO cairns, and a beautiful trail back down to treeline.